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U.S. Open Cup: 1958 to 1987

By Ted Westervelt May 14, 2013 9:19 amMay 14, 2013 9:19 am

This is the third of a series on the U.S. Open Cup.

From the 1960s through the 1980s the U.S. Open Cup produced compelling soccer — and faced serious challenges. The tournament faded amid competition from other sports and an ever-changing soccer landscape. Still, the Cup lived on.

New dynasties grew to replace teams like Bethlehem (Pa.) and Fall River (Mass.). The New York Greek Americans and Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals battled in the 1960s. The New York Pancyprians and Maccabi Los Angeles emerged in the 1970s. California teams dominated in the West. Clubs from the Los Angeles Soccer League accounted for half of the western finalists.

Over the last 50 years, the owners and organizers of professional leagues in the U.S. saw the Cup as a European oddity unworthy of their attention in an American sporting landscape of playoffs and insular leagues.

The lack of interest among the top pro leagues and the dominance of ethnic clubs define this chapter of the Open Cup history. The International Soccer League, which imported foreign teams, got some attention in the early 1960s — but the clubs were not eligible to play in the domestic cup. North American Soccer League teams never had much use for the Open Cup. Even the American Soccer League, which had been playing in the Open Cup since 1933, lost interest.

Those defections opened the door to the ethnic clubs that represented their immigrant communities. The New York Greek Americans, founded in 1946, became perennial contenders from the ’60s through the ’80s. The local Ukrainian community and its team in Philadelphia also found success in the Open Cup.

Despite the absence of the top professional clubs, Cup finals sometimes attracted more fans than some N.A.S.L. games in the 1970s. In 1970, Elizabeth (N.J.) won the Open Cup and played in the Concacaf Champions Cup, stealing a draw against mighty Cruz Azul of Mexico.

Shunned by the N.A.S.L. and eventually the A.S.L, dismissed as an anachronism, demeaned as as an ethnic curiosity, ignored by the U.S. pro sports establishment and absent from the headlines, the U.S. Open Cup has refused to go away and die.

Looking toward the 21st century, Major League Soccer, more aware of its place in the world of soccer, has embraced the Open Cup along with the lower divisions of the U.S. soccer pyramid. It is not quite the English F.A. Cup, yet, but. … the winner earns a berth in the Concacaf Champions League and the possibility of playing in the FIFA Club World Cup.

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Goal, The New York Times soccer blog, will report on news and features from the world of soccer and around the Web. Times editors and reporters will follow international tournaments and provide analysis of games. There will be interviews with players, coaches and notable soccer fans, as well as a weekly blog column by Red Bulls forward Jozy Altidore. Readers can discuss Major League Soccer, foreign leagues and other issues with fellow soccer fans.